Concord Conservatory of MusicConcord Conservatory of Music
Of all the ambitious highlights from CCM’s recent Pianos on the Town launch event, few captured the community’s imagination quite like the Piano Xtravaganza. The vision was bold: coordinate a massive, synchronized performance featuring eight hand-painted pianos played simultaneously in an outdoor public space.
“The initial inspiration was to put a piano ensemble together like an orchestra,” says CCM faculty member and conductor Kitty Cheung-Evans. “To have them play and breathe as one organism with a massive sound.”
Behind the Scenes: Keeping the Tempo
Bringing that orchestral vision to life in an outdoor setting was no small feat. With students only having six weeks to practice their parts independently, the group rehearsals required intense focus, patience, and a lot of starting and stopping.
“I had to teach the kids how to look for the conductor’s cues,” Kitty explains. “Every hand gesture and signal was for dynamics, speed, or cuing a part in after a long rest. Setting that one collective tempo was quite an experience — the kids needed a lot of convincing on why ‘The Entertainer’ couldn’t just go faster and faster!”
To steady the nerves of her young pianists, Kitty learned to stand right in the middle of the circle, giving them the “feel” and tempo of the piece before a single key was struck. “This gave them a sense of reassurance,” she notes.Â
For some of the youngest performers, that reassurance made all the difference. Rin S., the youngest member of the group keyboard class, was incredibly nervous leading up to the big day. Determined to shine, Rin practiced her piece every single day until she had it completely memorized, performing beautifully without any sheet music at all. Having her older sister, Ella, who was super calm, comfortable, and thrilled to play in front of the crowd, by her side in class helped give Rin the extra boost of confidence she needed.Â
When Rin arrived at the launch, the pianos themselves provided an instant spark of joy. “Ours at home is black,” Rin’s family shared, “so seeing them so colorful and beautifully painted was really exciting for her.”Â
An Electrifying Day-of ExperienceÂ
When launch morning finally arrived, the traditional, quiet atmosphere of an indoor recital hall was replaced by something entirely vibrant.Â
“When I first arrived at the building, I couldn’t believe the energy,” Kitty recalls. “The atmosphere was electrifying, like I had stepped into a big party. I loved seeing the kids dressed up and ready to go! The crowd was so supportive, cheering us on piece after piece—something we don’t get to experience quite the same way during indoor concerts.”Â
Once the performance began, the weeks of meticulous rehearsal clicked perfectly into place. Kitty describes being in the performance “zone,” with every student locked in right there with her. “I thought about it a lot, and from beginning to end, it was absolutely perfect. My favorite moment was seeing the faces of accomplishment when the students looked up after each song.”Â
Lessons Beyond the KeyboardÂ
While Piano Xtravaganza was a spectacular musical success, the lasting impact of the project goes far deeper than mastering a melody.Â
Because the students couldn’t rely on anyone else to carry their specific parts, the project instilled a profound sense of individual responsibility. “They realized that they don’t always have to ‘love’ a song in order to play it to the highest standard,” says Kitty. “This project taught them how to meet a deadline, and by doing so, they realized they are part of a much bigger community than they thought.”Â
Thanks to the vital support of our donors, events like PianoX are able to break down walls, engaging the public and showcasing the incredible dedication of CCM’s faculty and students. It proved that music belongs to everyone, and that every single player matters.Â
“I hope the students look back on this event fondly, because playing eight pianos at the same time is a true rarity,” Kitty says. “I hope they understand that you don’t have to be a virtuoso to make a difference.”Â
Head to our website to check out our complete artist bios and see the full POTT pop-up schedule!Â
For mixed-media painter Holly Harrison, creativity has always been about layers. Over a twenty-year career as a working artist, following a successful transition from writing and editing poetry, Holly has dedicated her practice to exploring memory, juxtaposition, and the natural world. But this June, her canvas expanded from the studio to the sidewalk as part of CCM’s community-wide Pianos on the Town public art initiative.Â
“I kind of love the idea that these pianos are paintings that are brought to life by people playing them. Music is a great connector, and CCM is filling a need for community connection that is especially important right now.” said Holly.Â
For Holly, the project is a beautiful full-circle moment. Her connection to the Concord Conservatory of Music runs deep, tracing back to the organization’s early days.Â
“My daughter took piano lessons for many years with Chieko Loy, who is a wonderful teacher,” Holly shares. “The conservatory was pretty young at that time, but everyone was already doing such great work. My husband and I especially enjoyed the student concerts, and it was exciting to see what Executive Director, Kate Yoder was building.”Â
A Love Letter to CreativityÂ
Walk up to Holly’s painted piano this month, and you will find yourself surrounded by a sweeping, dynamic cloud of birds in motion. Bird imagery has been a central anchor of her artistic journey since she first began painting seriously, rooted in her middle school years in Florida, where herons, egrets, and wild parrots were a fixture of daily life.Â
To bring her instrument to life, Holly drew inspiration from one of nature’s most mesmerizing visual phenomena: the starling murmuration.Â
“I find birds to be endlessly fascinating—so familiar but also wild and unknowable,” Holly explains. “Many of my paintings feature starling murmurations, which are so beautiful in their shapes and movements, and also kind of crazy when you think about how fast these masses of birds are able to fly without crashing into each other. My idea was to wrap the piano in a murmuration to reference both the rhythms of music and the coordinated motions of the birds in flight.”Â
The result is a striking marriage of visual art and auditory motion, capturing the dips, soars, and cadence of song. For Holly, music and visual art are inherently intertwined. She sings and listens to everything from single albums on repeat to sprawling eclectic playlists to ground her studio space and tap into her creative energy. “The piano is a love letter to creativity, whatever form it takes,” she says.Â
The Power of Public Art
As a prominent fixture in the local arts scene, serving on the Board of Trustees and as the head of the Exhibitions Committee at Concord Art, Holly understands the vital role that accessible, community-driven art plays in a neighborhood. Through Pianos on the Town, donors and supporters have made it possible to break down the traditional boundaries of galleries and concert halls, bringing joyful expression directly to the public.Â
“There is something wonderful about art that people are encouraged to touch and interact with,” says Holly. “I kind of love the idea that these pianos are paintings that are brought to life by people playing them. Music is a great connector, and I think CCM is filling a need for community and social connection that is especially important right now. This project in particular is so joyful and inclusive — the pianos are out there for anyone to play.”Â
That magic was on full display at the project’s kickoff event, where Holly got to witness the immediate impact of her work firsthand.Â
“A couple of young women sat down at the piano, and they were laughing and talking and just so happy to noodle around on the keyboard,” Holly recalls with a smile. “That was the perfect response!”Â
Through her work, Holly hopes to remind passersby of the wildness and beauty of the natural world, nudging us to remember that it is worth protecting. Thanks to the generosity of our community supporters, her spectacular, bird-wrapped instrument will spend the month of June doing exactly that: inviting neighbors of all ages to stop, connect, and make a little music together.Â
Head to our Pianos on the Town webpage to check out her complete bio and learn more about the other artists bringing our streets to life this summer. And don’t forget to see Holly’s painted piano in person at the Concord Museum!Â
An Evening of Music, Craft, and Cultural Tradition
Fabiola Mendez and William Cumpiano
Thursday, June 25, 2026 at 7:00 pmÂ
Experience a unique night that brings together two extraordinary artistic voices: Puerto Rican cuatro player and composer Fabiola MĂ©ndez and master luthier William Cumpiano. Â
Thank you to our sponsors!
We invite all music enthusiasts and businesses to sponsor our Concert & Lecture Series. If you’re interested, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Elaine Lawrence at Elawrence@ConcordConservatory.org. We would love to discuss how you can be part of this exciting series.
We look forward to seeing you at our upcoming events!
Be the Reason Someone Experiences MusicÂ
Imagine the joy of a child learning their first instrument, the spark in a senior’s eye as they reconnect with cherished memories through music, or the strength in the voice of someone with Parkinson’s finding their melody.
You can make these moments possible with a gift to CCM.
By making your very first gift to CCM, you have the opportunity to:
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